Monty Harper here. I'm a songwriter, performer and recording artist with more than twenty years of professional experience. I write songs for and with kids, songs about scientific research, and songs for clients. I teach songwriting and I perform for schools, libraries, and festivals in Oklahoma and often elsewhere around the country. This blog is where you'll find photos, songs, video, and announcements related to my latest projects. Enjoy!

Friday, July 31, 2009

My last library show of the summer was yesterday morning in Weatherford! The Weatherford library has a sunken program area that's furnished like a living room with lots of cushy chairs. I had a small, quiet, and particularly comfy audience.

Here is one audience member after the show checking out Evalyn's blog. She left a really nice comment.

Yesterday afternoon we visited the SWOSU campus where I sang for the kids at an arts camp and answered a few questions about songwriting. I wish we'd had more time!

Today we are preparing for a trip to Wisconsin for songwriting, recording, and fun with Mr. Billy and his family. After that, the sky's the limit!

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

This morning I performed in Marion, KS, in another auditorium, as you can see. Many among the audience were relatives - Lisa's aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins, third cousins, etc. etc.

Evalyn can even sing with her eyes closed!

I did "You're a Dinosaur" and made the mistake of inviting anyone who wanted to to come on stage, thinking there were only a few hands up, but then a flood of kids came up! So we had a herd of each dino type.

After the show we had a nice cookout at Lisa's cousin's house, and we got to know some of our cousins twice removed - those would be Lisa's cousin's grandkids, if I've got it right! Now we get a week "off," during which we will do ALL the things we've been putting off all summer. Haha!

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

My two shows today were at opposite extremes of the spectrum in terms of audience and venue, and both were great fun.

This morning in Rose Hill we set up in the corner of the library, and had a small audience. One daycare group arrived early so I sat down and read "Prancing Dancing Lily" to them while we waited for showtime.

Here's a photo with most of the audience, after the show.This evening in Emporia, I performed in a the Granada Theater, restored to it's original 1930s glory. It was their end of summer celebration. Kids had to read a certain number of hours in order to earn tickets to come to the show! We had a huge crowd! Here's a view from the balcony:There was a "mosh pit" area down in front, where kids came to run around and dance during much of the show. Here they are for "Reading Makes Me Want to Dance Out Loud."During the same song - Evalyn is doing her patented "Hyper Dyno" dance!Whew - it's been a fun day. We are ready for bed, and will be up and at it again in the morning, at Marion!

Monday, July 20, 2009

Today I had a very lively little group at the Cherokee library. These kids weren't shy at all about interacting with me during the program. It's fun to have a group like that!

Don't I look embarrassed? I must have played the wrong guitar chord. Actually this is during - you guessed it - "Silly Song."

On our way home we stopped by the Salt Plains state park to dig selenite crystals. It was really cool. We rounded the top of a hill and saw what looked like a huge lake in front of us - but it's really a dry plain covered with salt.

We dug little holes and found lots of crystals just under the surface.

It was a fun day. Now we are down to our last four library programs for the summer! Two tomorrow and one Wednesday in Kansas, then one next Thursday in Weatherford. Don't worry, we'll find plenty to keep ourselves occupied after that...

Sunday, July 19, 2009

My show today at the downtown library in OKC kicked off a children's music festival which lasts all week, featuring local performers and musicians from the Kansas City area.

Lisa took a million great shots & as you can see, I had trouble narrowing them down.

Evalyn's friend Hope came with us today. Here they are together:

We sang "Don't Look, I'm Making a Book":

During "Silly Song," not only did kids suggest their own verses, they came up on stage to do it. This kind of happened spontaneously, and it worked really well in that auditorium. Here are shots of the kids who came up to write verses with me. Tail-swishing giraffe:

Being squished by a hippo:

Silenced by a wooly mammoth:

Stuffed into a turtle shell:

Milk-squirting cow:

More kids came on stage to help me out with "You're a Dinosaur":

Signing autographs after the show:

As you can see, we had a great time! I hope you can make it to some of the other festival events this week!

Friday, July 17, 2009

Thunderstorms kept Lisa awake Wednesday night, so yesterday morning came way too early for her. Evalyn and I went out on our own for shows in Perry and Fairfax. Without Lisa to man (woman?) the cameras, I just brought home a couple of posed shots with kids from the audience after each show.

Here's my Perry group:

And here's my Fairfax group:

The Fairfax show took place in an old bank building which is in the process of becoming a museum. There were all sorts of cool items lying around, including an old pump organ, and these two characters: